Champions and Heroes
by daviderl31
Summary: Triple Crossover - Buffy, Charmed and Xena. Buffy, Willow, Prue and Xena wake up in a bare, sterile room with no memory of who they are. A 3D projection of a man, or a woman, tells them they are needed to help fight a war to save his race from extinction.
1. Waking Up

**Champions and Heroes**

**Chapter One**

**Waking Up**

The four women awoke slowly from a deep sleep. Their eyes fluttered open and their breaths became deeper, together, as if from some unheard signal. As they sat up on their beds, the ceiling and the walls brightened as if they were one light, bright enough so everything, what little there was, could be seen, but not so bright as to be harsh. As they looked at each other, there was no sign of recognition in any of them. One had dark, almost black hair, with deep blue eyes. Another had shoulder-length dark brown hair. The third was slight of build with blonde hair past her shoulders. The last was built similar to the blonde, but with reddish-auburn hair. After eyeing the other women - eyes meeting and momentarily locking, they all looked around them. There were no doors, windows, or furniture other than the beds they were on.

"Anyone know where we are?" the Blonde asked. "Or know how we got here?"

"Or who we are?" the Brunette added. "Do any of you know your names?"

"Or how we got these gowns on?" the Redhead asked. "And what happened to our underclothes?"

They were all wearing sleeveless knee-length white gowns and nothing else.

The one with dark hair stood up, and it was evident to the others that she was very tall, at least six feet. "Does anybody see a way out of here?" she asked.

They all got off their beds, and it was obvious none were anywhere close to the Dark-haired one's height. The Blonde went to one wall and began to feel her way across to a corner, reaching high and low as she did. The others followed suit until it was obvious there was no door in the completely smooth, white walls.

Suddenly there was a loud, muffled bang! The Dark-haired one had punched a wall. Then a second, and then a third time. When nothing happened, other than slightly bloody knuckles, she stepped back a half-dozen steps, and with a running start, jumped up and kicked the wall with one foot with no result.

"I don't think that's working," the Blonde said.

"You got a better idea?" she snapped back.

"Maybe if we start yelling," the Redhead suggested, "somebody might hear us and come to get us."

Instead the Dark-haired one picked up one of the beds, backed up to one wall, and ran with it to the opposite one, straining with the effort to crash it into the wall as hard as she could. But it bounced off as her fist and foot had done, with no damage to the wall.

"Maybe if I got some help. . . ." she started to say when a door-sized opening appeared in one of the walls. Beyond the opening were more lighted walls. Without hesitation, the Dark-haired one marched toward it, but the Blonde blocked her way.

"Don't you think we should slow down, and investigate first before we go rushing into something unfamiliar?"

"It looks like some kind of long hallway," the Redhead said as she peered cautiously through the door. "I don't see any doors or anything."

The Brunette joined her, then stepped through the doorway. "This only goes one way. We're at the end. Maybe if we stick together we can see what's down there and protect each other at the same time just in case."

"How about it?" the Blonde asked the Dark-haired one. "Slow and careful?"

"Whatever. I'll take the lead and you can bring up the rear. You two keep your eyes and ears peeled."

And without another word, she stepped into the hallway and walked away from the room, the others trailing behind.

"The door just closed," the Blonde said. "So I guess there's no going back."

They walked about twenty steps when they came to another white room where a door had opened, but larger with one long table and a half dozen armless chairs. On the table were bowls of almost familiar fruit - red "tangerines," short, orange "bananas," bluish-purple "apples," multi-colored "grapes" and "berries." And there were four glass pitchers of a clear liquid, which turned out to be water, and four empty cups. The Redhead sat down and picked up one of the "apples."

"You're not going to eat that, are you?" the Dark-haired one asked.

"Why not?"

"It might be poisoned."

"I think if they were going to kill us, they already would have," she answered. "Besides, I'm hungry."

After slight hesitations, the others sat down and began to eat. As they did, they commented on the how odd, but strangely good, the food tasted even though they weren't sure what they were eating.

"So now what?" The Brunette asked. "Go back down the hall to see if there are other rooms?"

"That won't be necessary," a strange voice said.

They looked toward the voice and saw a person standing there. It could have been a man, or it could have been a woman. The way he, or she, was dressed and built it was impossible to tell.

"My name is Myna. And I know you all have questions."

Before he or she could say anything more, the Dark-haired woman rushed at Myna, intending to capture him, or her. But instead she ran right through the image.

"As you can see, I'm not really here. This is a three dimensional holographic projection. You will meet the real me, and the others, after I have explained why you are here, and why you are needed all of you."

"Why can't we remember anything?" the Redhead asked. "Not even our names!"

"That was done purposely. And the reason for that, too, will be explained later. As for your names you with the blue eyes and the aggressive nature, you are Xena. You with the red hair, your name is Willow. The blonde, your name is Buffy. And lastly, Prue, or Prudence if you prefer."

"So why are we here?" Xena asked.

"And how did we get here?" Buffy asked.

"And where _IS_ 'here'?" Prue asked.

"You all were brought here to help us fight a war. A war that threatens my race's very existence."

"And why should _WE_ fight _YOUR_ war?" Xena asked.

"Because it's what you do. In your lands and in your time, you all were champions and heroes, fighting to defeat evil wherever you found it."

"What do your mean 'in our time?' " Prue asked.

"You all have been brought into your futures, far into it. Several thousand years, in fact."

"You have the technology to bring us through time, but you can't fight your own war? Why do you need us?" Willow asked.

"Because of your very specific talents. Two of you have extraordinary strength and healing abilities. And two of you possess great magical powers. And those skills, working as one, will be needed to defeat the enemies we battle against."

Xena looked at the others, then back at Myna. "And just how do we know that YOU aren't the evil ones?"

Myna smiled. "When you meet the others, and listen to their stories, and see for yourselves what we have suffered, then you will believe."

"We're champions?" Willow said.

"Champions, and more," Myna said.

"Why have you taken our memories from us?" Prue asked.

"As I said, all will be explained later. I will return presently."

Just as Myna disappeared, Willow yelled out, "Which one of us has magical powers?" But it was too late.

**To Be Continued**


	2. Getting To Know You

**Chapter Two**

**Getting To Know You**

"So, now what?" Prue asked.

"Are there any more rooms?" Willow asked.

"Doesn't seem to be," Buffy answered after she walked to the opening. "The hall just leads back to where we came from."

"And so we wait, again!" Xena pointed out, angrily. "This is getting old really fast."

After a couple of minutes of silence, Willow said to no one in particular, "Do you think the names he, or she, gave us are our real names?"

"Who knows?" Buffy answered. "I suppose they are. I don't know why we would be given different ones."

"Hey," Xena said, "what kind of name is Buffy? I never heard of that."

"Well, I've never heard of Xena what kind of name is THAT?"

"They all seem kind of odd," Willow interrupted, trying to keep the peace. "He, she, whatever, said mine was Willow. That's a tree."

"Prudence is okay," Prue said. "It's old fashioned, though."

"Maybe we ought to name ourselves," Willow suggested. "You know, something we like better."

"I guess we could," Buffy said. "What name do you like?"

After a few seconds, Willow said, "I kind of like Tara, for some reason."

"That's not so bad. What about you, Prue?"

"I don't know, maybe - Melinda?"

"That's a pretty name. Xena?"

"Why would I want to change mine? It's as good a name as any."

"Okay."

"What about you?" Tara asked. "What name do you like?"

After a couple of thoughtful breaths, Buffy said, "I think Joan. I feel like a Joan."

"That's a bad as Buffy," Xena laughed.

"Fine! You don't like that, how about - Joyce?"

"Joan, Joyce. What's next? Joe? George?"

"All right, Dawn! Make fun of THAT!"

"That's a nice name," Tara said. "I think you should keep it."

"Gabrielle."

"What?" Dawn said to Xena.

"I think I want to be called Gabrielle."

"Certainly not what I would have expected."

"You don't like it?"

"No, it's pretty name. I just didn't expect it would be the kind of name you'd choose."

Gabrielle shrugged then went back to the table to eat more if the unfamiliar fruit.

"Other than Gabrielle, I wonder which one of us has the super strength, and which two of us have magical powers," Melinda said after a while.

"There's one way to find out," Tara said. "We could arm wrestle."

"I don't know what that is," Gabrielle said.

"I'll show you." And Tara sat down at the table opposite her. "We put our arms up like this, and hold our hands like this. We keep the other hand flat on the table. And then we try to put the other person's hand down to the table, like this." And she put Gabrielle's down.

"Sounds easy enough."

"So somebody say 'get set, ready, and go' and we go."

"Get set," Dawn said. "Ready. Go!"

Immediately, the back of Tara's hand was slammed down on the table.

"Okay, I'm not so strong," she said, nursing her aching hand. "Melinda, want to try it?"

"Sure," she said, then sat in Tara's place.

"Get set," Dawn repeated. "Ready. And GO!"

And once again, Gabrielle was the winner. "I guess that just leaves you," she said to Dawn, a smirk on her face.

Dawn sat at the table, grasped Gabrielle's hand and readied herself.

"Okay - get set," Tara said. "Ready. Go."

As Melinda and Tara watched, nothing seemed to be happening.

"I said 'go'," Tara said.

"I think they did," Melinda told her. "Look at their hands."

On closer inspection, it was obvious both women were straining against the other's hand, but neither were giving way. After a minute or so, Tara said, "Well I guess we know who has the super strength, so you two can quit now."

But neither one did.

"Okay, this is getting rediculous," she told them. "We know you both are super strong. You don't have to prove anything anymore."

But neither one was about to quit.

"I have an idea," Melinda said. "When I count three, you both stop at the same time, okay?"

Both Gabrielle and Dawn looked up at her, and nodded in agreement.

"One, two, three."

As Dawn relaxed her arm, Gabrielle slammed the back of her hand down in a loud crash. But then as she relaxed, Dawn slammed Gabrielle's hand down even harder with an even louder crash.

"Well, I guess that means you and I are what - magicians?" Tara said to Melinda.

"I don't feel very magical."

"Me neither. You don't think we're witches do you? Evil witches, maybe?"

"I don't feel evil. Do you know any spells or magic words?" Melinda asked.

"Abracadabra. Open Sesame. Hocus Pocus. That's about it."

"I found the bathroom," Dawn said. "It's in the wall at the other end of the table. I was just thinking about how bad I had to pee and it just opened up."

"I'm next," Melinda said. And she got up and went down where Dawn indicated.

"But there's no toilet paper, it's kind of like a bidet," Dawn explained. "And there's no sink, so there's no place to wash your hands."

After Melinda, Tara and then Gabrielle used the facility. Gabrielle wasn't sure how it operated, but it did all the work for her, including a warm, drying breeze.

And then without warning, Myna was back. Immediately Gabrielle tried to hit him, just in case he wasn't a 3D projection, but her fist went right through him. And he ignored her effort once again.

"I understand you have given yourselves new names," he/she said.

"Yeah," Dawn said. "Names we like better."

"Not the ones you tried to force us to use," Gabrielle added.

"I see. Then I suppose I should return some of your memories to you. Some of them, but not all; not yet. If you will all sit down, I will begin."

The four of them sat at the table on opposite side of Myna so they all were facing him/her.

**To Be Continued**


	3. Memories

**Chapter Three**

**Memories**

"I will begin with you, 'Gabrielle' since you seem to think you are the most powerful, and have self-appointed yourself leader."

The others looked at her expectedly, but for a few seconds there was no reaction, then she said, "Okay, I _am_ Xena. So what have you done with Gabrielle?"

"She is safe. "

Before there were more questions from Xena, Myna continued. "Melinda, you are next."

And again it was several seconds before that part of her memory returned. "Melinda was my great, great, great, whatever, grandmother. So why did I choose her name?"

"You will understand, later."

He looked at "Dawn" next, but didn't speak. "Joyce is my mother, and Dawn is my sister!" Buffy exclaimed. "Are they all right?"

"I assure you, you have nothing to worry about. And now you, 'Tara'."

The same few seconds passed and Willow began to cry. "Tara, my baby."

Buffy put a comforting hand on her shoulder and Willow turned into her and they embraced as she cried on her shoulder.

"Tara was Willow's lover, not her child," Myna told the others.

"Why didn't you bring Gabrielle here?" Xena was angry.

"Because she has no powers and is of no use to us."

And again Myna disappeared.

When Buffy and Willow finally broke apart, Willow said, "I know I know you, I just don't know how, or from where."

"Me too," Buffy answered. "I feel the same way."

"Well, I don't know _any_ of you. And I'm getting sick and tired of all this," Xena complained.

"I don't know anyone either," Prue said. "Just relax, why don't you? Don't you think _we're_ getting a little sick and tired of your constant bitching?"

In anger, Xena reached out to grab Prue by the arm, but when she did, Prue swung her arm to ward off Xena's hand, and Xena flew backward through the air to crash against the far wall.

"Whoa!" Willow exclaimed. "Did you just do magic?"

"I - I don't know."

"You did something," Buffy said. "And without touching her. If that's not magic then it's some kind of telekinesis."

Xena picked herself up off the floor, but stayed away from Prue, for now.

"Can you do it again?" Willow asked.

"I don't know. I could try."

Buffy put one of the chairs in the doorway to the hall. "Try that."

Prue took a breath, kind of squinted her eyes as if focusing on the chair, then swung her arm at it, and it disappeared down the hall out of sight with a series of crashes and bumps.

"Okay," she said. "I felt that. And it felt like magic." She looked at Willow. "Want to try it?"

"I guess so. It couldn't hurt."

Buffy put another chair in the doorway and backed away. And like Prue, Willow flung her arm toward the chair. Nothing happened. Twice more she tried it, using both hands, but the chair never moved.

"Maybe moving things isn't your power," Prue told her, trying to keep her from feeling too bad about it.

"That's pretty obvious," she replied, unable to keep the disappointment out of her voice.

As the time slowly passed, three of them sat at the table, nibbled on the unfamiliar fruit, and made small talk, each trying to remember what they could and telling each other. Except for Xena. She took a chair outside the room and sat against the wall, leaning back in it, watching the other three through the doorway. Once Willow invited Xena to join them, but she ignored the invitation, but continued to study them, Prue in particular.

"Is it my imagination, or is it getting darker?" Buffy asked.

"It definitely is getting darker," Willow agreed.

"The door at the end of this hall is open," Xena said. "Looks like it's nap time."

And without waiting for the others, she walked back down to the room where they all woke up in. The others had no choice but to follow since this dining room had become pitch black. When they got to the sleeping room, Xena had moved a bed into one corner so no one could approach without her knowing it. As they entered, the doorway closed behind them.

"I'm not really sleepy," Prue said.

The others agreed, but they had little choice except to sit on the beds and talk until the lights began to dim here also.

"I guess we're going to bed," Buffy said as she lay down. "But I don't suppose we really have to go to sleep."

But it wasn't long before they all did, Xena included. And whether it was a final word from Myna, or a dream, none could tell, but somehow they were told that when they next awoke, more of their memories would be returned.

"Prue."

Prue's eyes opened wide at the sound of her name. At first she thought it was a dream until she heard it again, and looking toward the dim light from the opened door, she saw Myna standing there. And as he walked away and down the hallway, she quietly got out of bed and followed him. When she left the room, the door silently closed.

"What's up?"

"What are your last memories?"

After a few seconds Prue hesitatingly said, "I was in the manor, with Piper, and Shax burst through the front door, and he did something, or threw something, some energy bolt, maybe. And we were both thrown backward, I think - through a wall? Oh, god! Piper! Is she all right?"

"Yes, your sister survived, but unfortunately, you did not. You were brought here just before the instant of your death. And that is why you were chosen - there is a chance you may not survive the upcoming battle. And as callous as this sounds, your death here will not impact the future you left."

"But this battle - the three of, Piper, Phoebe and I, we're the Charmed Ones. We were the most powerful witches there ever were. Why didn't you bring them also?"

"That is almost true. But you should know that if either of your sisters were to be killed here, this Shax would not be defeated. Nor would the line of the Charmed Ones continue."

Before Prue could say anything more, Myna continued. "I realize this is a hard thing to accept - that your life is all but ended, so I implore you not to reveal this to the others. I am afraid it might cause them to be either overly-cautious, or perhaps too reckless."

Prue gave a half-hearted nod, and as she did, the opening slid open and she returned to her bed. And despite her anxiety, she seemed to fall back asleep almost at once. But as she did, she thought she heard Myna's voice again: "Xena."

Xena's eyes popped open at the sound of her name, and they were drawn to the dimly lit opening where Myna stood. She immediately got out of bed and hurried out of the room, eager to confront him. And as soon as she got to him, again she swung at, and through him.

"What do you want?" she asked, not worrying about waking up the others.

"What is the last thing you remember before being here?"

After several seconds Xena replied, "I was in a forest, fighting foot soldiers, killing as many of them as I could with my kutana. And then..." Here she hesitated. "And then I either saw, or was aware of an officer on a horse, with a sword, and then he..."

"He decapitated you," Myna finished for her. "He ended your life. And just at that moment, you were brought here."

"I know I had to die in order to defeat Lord Yodoshi, but if I'm here, how can I fulfill my destiny?"

"I assure you, the Eater of Souls was destroyed by you, so if you die in this conflict, there will be no change in the future."

"But what about Gabrielle? Did she survive?"

"You companion did endure and went on to live a long, productive life."

"And you're not lying just to appease me."

Myna smiled. "Your suspicious nature will serve us well. And now, you should return to bed, when you awaken there will be much to do. But if you will, please say nothing to the others about your death. It may unsettle them and possibly make their cooperation with you less than desirable."

Despite her desire to question him further, Xena went back into the room to her bed and drifted off to sleep, but not before she thought she heard him say, "Buffy."

Opening her eyes, Buffy wasn't sure if she heard something or not, but the light from the hallway drew her eyes to Myna. He motioned to her, then moved out of her sight, so she quickly got out of bed and joined him.

"Is something wrong?" she asked.

"No. I just want you to think back and tell me what you can remember before coming here."

And as with Prue and Xena, there were a few seconds before Buffy answered him. "I was in Sunnydale, on top of a tower built by Glory's, I don't know - minions? crazy people? Dawn was with me and a portal was opening where Dawn's blood had been spilt. And I knew I had to leap into the portal to close it before hell on earth was released. I was running, and I dived, and then nothing."

"It was at that point, just before your life was taken that you were brought here. It is the reason we selected you, because your life on that plane of existence was ended."

"But what about Dawn, and my friends, and Glory? Did it work?"

"Everything you wanted came to pass - everyone was safe and Glory was eliminated. But now, you should return to your bed, much has to be done when you awaken. But let me caution you about repeating this conversation to your companions. It is not something they may want to hear, it may cause discomfort for them, and they may not want to work with you."

"Okay, if you say so."

Buffy got back into bed and almost instantly fell asleep.

**To Be Continued**


	4. Many Questions But Few Answers

**Chapter Four**

**Many Questions But Few Answers**

Willow wasn't sure why she woke up. As far as she knew everything was quiet, but there was something in her mind, some thing that almost sounded like her name. It happened again, then she saw the door open and Myna was standing there, waiting for her. And like the others, she got up to go see what he wanted.

"Did you call me somehow?"

"Yes, I sent a message to you mentally. You have the power to transmit your thoughts to others, you know."

"No, I didn't know. So why haven't I been able to do that?"

"Before I answer your questions, tell me, what is the last thing you remember before waking up here?"

"I - I was in Sunnydale High School, in the room just above the Hellmouth. I performed a spell using a scythe to cause all the potential Slayers to come into their powers, and then I think I passed out, maybe."

"You almost did, you were exhausted, your powers were weakened, and we were able to bring you here."

"Why didn't I remember that before?"

"We are only giving you, all of you, back your memories in small doses to lessen the shock of being here."

"So just when are we going to know what you keep promising us?"

"After this sleep cycle has ended. Everything will be explained, I promise you. And now you should finish your sleep. There is so much that has to be done and you will need your rest."

With no argument, Willow went back to bed, but unlike the others, she didn't fall back to sleep right away. There were things nagging at her; things she knew she should remember, and things that needed explaining. Not right away did she fall asleep, but the next thing she knew, others were stirring, the room had lightened, and the door was open.

"Did everyone sleep okay?" Buffy asked, curious if anyone else had the same conversation with Myna as she did.

Mostly there were mumbled answers, as if no one really wanted to say.

"Okay," Buffy said. And once again they went to the large dining room to relieve themselves and to eat breakfast.

"What I wouldn't give for a cup of coffee," Prue commented absently.

"You're supposed to be the magic one," Xena replied with sarcasm in her voice. "I don't know what coffee is, but if you want it so bad, why not conjure it up?"

"You don't know what coffee is?" Buffy asked, almost incredulously.

"If I did, why would I say I didn't?"

"You know," Buffy interrupted, "it seems like there are a lot of little things we don't know don't remember. And I can't help but wonder why."

"I have to say, I've wondered about that myself," Prue added. "Why don't they want us to remember who we are, and where we came from, and who our friends and family were?"

"And why don't we seem to be more concerned about it?" Buffy asked. "You'd think we'd be more worried about everything."

"Maybe the food or water is drugged," Willow suggested.

"Well, I'm tired of this," Xena said suddenly. "And I m tired of being told what I can and can't say."

"What do you mean?" Willow said.

"Last night, that Myna woke me up and somehow brought back the last memory I had before I woke up here."

Prue, Willow and Buffy all exchanged excited looks then looked back at Xena.

"Me, too," they all said almost at the same time.

"What was your memory?" Prue asked her.

"Dying in battle."

"That was almost like my last memory," Prue said. "I was killed by a demon my sisters and I were trying to vanquish."

"I died closing a portal to a hell dimension," Buffy told them.

They looked at Willow.

"I didn't die," she told them, sounding almost apologetic. "The last thing I remembered was using a spell to give power to potential Slayers all over the world."

"What a minute!" Buffy exclaimed. "_I'm_ a Slayer!"

"What's a Slayer?" Xena asked.

"A vampire slayer," Buffy explained. "I was chosen when the one before me died. Oh my god, I think I'm starting to remember."

"Myna told me I had to power to send my thoughts to other people. I wonder if I can maybe connect with one of you to bring out other memories," Willow said slowly.

"Why don't you two try it first?" Prue suggested to Buffy and Willow.

"Well, Buffy, how about it?" Willow asked.

"Let's go for it. The sooner I can get my memories back, the better I'll like it."

They sat down in the chairs opposite each other knees touching and hands clasped.

"So, what do we do?" Buffy asked.

"I'm not sure, I guess you concentrate on the memories you have, I'll do the same, and maybe something will happen."

Buffy nodded, the closed her eyes. Willow did also. While they were so focused, Prue watched them carefully, trying to discern some glimmer of recognition in their faces. Xena, bored already, went into the bathroom.

A minute or two passed and Buffy and Willow opened their eyes.

"Well?" Prue asked hopefully. "Anything?"

Both shook their heads. "Other than some familiar feelings about each other, nothing," Buffy answered.

"Sorry guys," Willow apologized. "I really thought it would work."

Just then Xena came out of the bathroom. "Look," she said. And she took off her gown to stand naked before them.

"Okay," Buffy said after a few seconds. "You have a great body. So..."

"What don't you see?"

The three of them stared at Xena, not knowing what they weren't supposed to see.

"Okay, we give up," Prue said. "What don't we see?"

"Scars."

"Scars?" Willow said. "I don't understand."

"My last memory was fighting and killing soldiers with a kutana, which means I'm a warrior, and probably a damned good one. But where are the scars? Even the best of us get wounded now and then. But there are no scars on me."

Xena turned around to show them the back of her, then turned back to face them.

"Do you see any scars at all?"

"No we don't," Buffy said. "And you're right, there is something odd about that."

"I don't think these are our real bodies," Xena continued as she put the gown back on. "I don't know how it was done, but..."

"Maybe we're like avatars," Willow said. "Maybe our souls were brought here and our real bodies are still where we were.''

"I think you're right," Prue agreed. "We've been here what, a day so far? And I don't know about any of you, but I have to shave my legs everyday - _every_ day. But so far, nothing has grown on my legs, or under my arms. And none of us have showered, but there's no body odor."

"So these aren't real bodies?" Xena asked.

"They are real," Willow answered. "But we're more like - androids?" She looked at Buffy and Prue for confirmation with a questioning shrug.

"I don't know what that is," Xena declared flatly.

"It's like a an artificial person, but still made of flesh and blood and bone, mostly. I guess." Buffy said.

"Well, whatever we are, this is getting us nowhere," Prue said. "Willow, how about if you and I try to so some magic together? Maybe it will wake something up in one or both of us."

"I'm all for that," she replied eagerly. "So far, you've done the only magic here."

And like Willow and Buffy, Willow and Prue sat with knees touching, hands clasped. They closed their eyes to better focus. This time, Xena stayed to watch, hoping along with Buffy that something would happen. At first there was nothing, then suddenly the table began to tremble, then to rise up in the air, higher until the tall pitchers touched the ceiling. And then slowly, everything seemed to melt through the ceiling until they disappeared.

"Wow," Buffy said. "That was impressive."

"Where did the table go?" Xena asked, wondering what was above the ceiling, like maybe a way out.

"I don't know where it went," Willow answered. "Up."

"Well, at least you guys did something different," Buffy complimented them. "Even though the food went with it."

"It was mostly her," Prue told them, looking at Willow. "I know now that except for my one active power you've seen, all my magic is in potions and reciting spells. Willow is the one with the real power. I could feel it in her just as soon as our minds connected."

**To Be Continued**


	5. Rebellion

**Chapter Five**

**Rebellion**

Before anyone else could say anything, Myna once again reappeared.

"Well, I see some of you have been exercising your magical talents. Sooner than we expected, but still acceptable. Now, if you will follow me, we will begin your training."

"We're not going anywhere until we get some answers," Willow informed him. "And our memories back."

Myna smiled a not-so-happy smile at her, then said, "Follow me."

The lights in the dining room began to dim, but with a causal wave of her hand, Willow brightened them back up again.

"So that's the way it's going to be? Very well. Perhaps a day or two with no food or water will change your attitudes."

Myna started fading, but before he was completely gone, there was a brief, almost-flash, and he was back.

"What have you done?" he asked, anxious and worried.

"I just followed the path of the projection, and brought you here. And here you'll stay until we get what we want."

"You mean he's really here?" Xena asked as she moved in his direction, but before she got to him, Willow blocked her way.

"We need him intact and doing what we want, not beaten to a bloody pulp."

For half a heartbeat, Xena considered tossing Willow out of her way, but remembering what Prue had done, she realized even with her strength she was no match for magic.

"Fine," she said. "But as soon as you're finished with him he's mine."

"Okay," Willow said, and turned back to Myna. "About those memories."

"You must understand why we kept them from you. Some were painful and some were simply unnecessary. But they could prove to be a potentially fatal distraction. And if you cannot focus on the upcoming struggle, you could very well die."

"No," Buffy said. "It's you who don't understand. It's our memories, and our experiences, that make us who we are, not just the power in our arms or the magic we posses. Without the knowledge of who we were and how we used our abilities we're no better than children with new toys."

"You might as well give them back to us," Prue told him. "Because I have a feeling Willow only has so much patience, not to mention Xena."

"And while you're at it," Xena added. "How about some decent clothes? If I'm going to fight, I want something with a little more body protection, including combat shoes."

"And some weapons," Buffy said. "Willow and Prue may have magic to use, but I know that Xena and I will need more than just our strength."

"Also," Xena went on. "What about these bodies? We know they aren't our real ones. How do we know we can depend on them?"

Myna put his hands up defensively. "Alright, you want answers. Just give me a chance!" He looked at the door opening as if he might run, or was hoping someone would come to his aid, but after a few seconds, he said, "The easy ones first. Your clothes and your weapons are in the armory. It is where I was taking you when you staged this - rebellion. And you are correct, the bodies you wear are not the ones you were born with. Moving bodies through time is even beyond our capabilities. But we were able to capture your respective life essences and bring them here. And we used your memories to reconstruct your bodies as best we could."

"As best you could, huh? So, any little glitches we should know about?" Buffy asked. "Maybe some little something you're not telling us that might cause problems?"

"Not in the sense that there is anything you should be concerned about."

"Which is exactly what worries me," Xena said. "I don't trust you as far as I could throw Mt. Olympus."

"That's an odd way of putting it," Prue commented, but Myna went on before anyone could agree.

"There are just a few little changes that are designed to improve your - efficiency."

"Such as," Buffy said.

"Your digestion. Water intake is critical, as well as it's elimination, and it must take place. However, your alimentary canal has been altered to be one hundred percent compatible with the food you eat. So there are no solid waste products that need to be dealt with."

"What in Tartarus is he talking about?" Xena demanded to know, which rewarded her with another strange look from Prue.

"He just means that whatever we eat is completely consumed," Willow explained. "So there is no need for us to, you know, have to go."

"No bowel movements," Buffy clarified.

"Anything else?" Prue asked.

"Your sweat glands no longer produce the fatty perspiration that bacteria feed on to produce odor, something you may appreciate should the need for concealment is required."

"And hair doesn t grow either," Prue added for him.

"Why waste the body's resources on useless expenditures of energy?"

"Okay, I can see where all that could be helpful," Buffy agreed. "So that brings us back to our memories."

"Are you sure you want them all? Each of you have many disturbing and painful memories that could . . . ."

"None of that matters," Prue interrupted. "If we're going to fight this war of yours, then we need everything that we are, everything that made you choose us in the first place."

Myna looked at each of them, and all four had the same determined look on their faces. He knew he was beaten.

"Very well, I can have your memories restored - all of them, but it will take longer than just the bits we have given you. Perhaps you will be more comfortable in your beds."

"Perhaps not," Buffy told him. "Let's do it right here, right now."

"If you insist. We will have to do this one person at a time, and since you will be unconscious, you should be lying down on the floor, since there is no table."

Willow glanced up at the ceiling, waved a hand and the table melted back down through the ceiling as it had upward and it settled on the floor, with the bowls of food and pitchers of water still intact.

"Who wishes to be first?"

With one sweep of her arm, Xena cleared the table and laid down on it. "Me."

"Very well. Just so you all will know, it will take some time before all of your memories can be restored."

"How much time?" Buffy asked.

"It's hard to say, your measurements of time are quite different from the ones we use."

"Don't even try it," Prue said. "You've read our minds. You know how we mark time. So how long?"

"Approximately two hours."

"That doesn't tell me anything," Xena complained, sitting up. "I have no idea what you're talking about."

"Think of it as a slow count to seven thousand two hundred," Willow explained. "You _do_ know how to count, don't you?"

Xena almost jumped off the table in Willow's direction, who instinctively backed up a few steps.

"Do you think I'm stupid?" Xena asked angrily.

"No! No, of course not! I just - I'm sorry, I didn't mean to insult you or anything. I just. . . ." And Willow's voice trailed off.

"Why is it you don't know what hours are?" Buffy asked Xena.

"Xena was brought from a time before the invention of accurate time-keeping devices," Myna told her. "And now," he said to Xena, "if you will get back on the table, we shall begin."

Xena took one last angry look at all of them, lay down again on the table and closed her eyes. In less than a half minute her breathing had become slow and regular.

"So, what do we do in the meantime?" Willow asked.

"Perhaps you could follow me to the armory to select your clothes and weapons?" Myna suggested.

"Shouldn't someone stay here with Xena?" Buffy asked.

"You could, but it's not necessary. She will be fine. And before you ask - no, she will not awaken."

Myna left the room without looking back, and slowly the others followed him out and down the corridor.

**To Be Continued**


	6. Clothing, Weapons, and Hostility

**Chapter Six **

**Clothing, Weapons, and Hostility**

The armory was quite different from what they were expecting. It was a room twice the size of the dining room, but it was completely bare.

"So where are the weapons?" Buffy asked.

"And the clothes?" Prue added.

Myna did something, made some kind of muted gesture, and two doors slid back to expose large rooms behind them. Through one doorway some kind of clothing could be seen on a table similar to the one in the dining room.

The three women went into the room, but instead of jeans, blouses, and other things they were expecting, they found light gray undergarments that seemed too large, but fit once they were put on. They were of one-piece that had sleeves that stopped just above their elbows, and just above the knees. Myna had stepped away from the opening to give them privacy to put these on.

"These are designed to give a modicum of physical protection, but their main function is to provide against heat and cold," Myna told them when they were dressed. "If the suits sense you are overheating, they will allow heat to escape. And the same if your body heat drops due to the cold - they will trap the heat you are losing, keeping you warm."

In addition to the abbreviated underclothes, there were other, similar garments, but with long sleeves and long leggings. Once they were put on, and also were form fitting, the women discovered they could alter the color of the fabric to their tastes - shades of blue, green, red, whatever they desired. The shoes were similar in color and came just above their ankles.

"However," Myna told them, "Once you are in combat, the colors will automatically alter to match the surroundings to better camouflage your appearance.

The actual armory contained the body armor Xena had asked about, and dozens of hand weapons - knives, spears, swords, bows and arrows, scythes, axes and shields.

"Where are the rifles and hand grenades and RPGs?" Buffy asked.

"Unfortunately, the Mystic you are going up against has enchanted the lands surrounding his stronghold, and no percussion weapons will work."

Each woman took several weapons to decide which suited them best. Buffy went for a small battle axe, a short handled scythe, and a kutana. Both Prue and Willow opted for daggers, but also took short swords. They all went into the main room to test the balance and weight. Twice Buffy changed weapons until she settled on the battle axe and a Mongolian scimitar. Willow decided she wanted the scythe and a twelve inch-long dagger with a curvy blade. Prue chose three daggers, and a belt with sheaths for them.

While they were testing and having mock battles with each other, none of them noticed when Xena stormed into the room.

"You all look like peacocks!" she snarled derisively at them. As they watched her, she went directly into the weapons room, ignoring the one with the clothing. A half minute later she came out carrying the second largest sword and scabbard there was, the largest being an English two-handed broad sword. And she marched directly up to Myna.

"Where's my Chakram?" she demanded.

"I'm afraid there was no way to bring it here anymore than we could bring your bodies."

Not really satisfied with the answer, but with no real argument, Xena started to turn away, then turned back.

"Tell me something, since you need such powerful allies, why not bring any or all of the gods I killed - Artemis or Poseidon or Hades or Athena?"

"Precisely because they _were_ gods there would be no way to convince them to help us, no way to to . . . . "

"To _contro_l them?"

Myna dropped his eyes, and Xena reached out to grab him by the neck, but Buffy grabbed her arm and turned her away from him to face her, a move Xena took exception to.

"Touch me again," she threatened. "Just one more time."

"No!" Willow said. "We are not going to fight amongst ourselves. Okay, it's obvious you have your memories back. But if we're going to be a team, you have to let the rest of us get ours back as well."

Xena started to say something, but Willow overrode her. "Maybe you're used to fighting by yourself, but here it's not going to happen, it _can't_ happen. But if you want to be the leader, that's fine with me. . . ."

"It's not fine with me," Buffy interrupted.

"So what make you think _you_ should be the leader?" Xena shot back.

"What make _eithe_r of you think that?" Prue asked. "Just because you have your memories doesn't automatically make you the boss. I agree with Willow - give us all a chance."

After a short pause, Xena turned and went into the room with the clothes and began to dress.

"So, who's next?" Buffy asked.

"I suggest since Xena was first, we go in reverse alphabetical order," Myna answered.

"So I guess that's you," Prue said to Willow.

But Willow was curious about all the gods Xena claimed to have killed. "Why don't you go next?" she asked Prue. "We'll all get our turn."

"Sure, if it's okay with you, Buffy."

Just as curious as Willow, Buffy said she had no objection, so Prue followed Myna to the dining room as Buffy and Willow started toward the room where Xena was changing, but she came out first. Her clothes were black.

"What were you saying about killing all those gods?" Willow asked. "You really did that?"

"I did."

"But how? How do you kill a god?"

"I was given the power by the god of Eli as long as my daughter, Eve, lived. Her birth was to bring about the Twilight of the Gods, and of course, they all wanted her dead."

"Who was Eli? I don't think I've ever heard of him? Do you know what year this was?"

Xena shook her head.

"Well, who were your contemporaries? Maybe if we've heard of them we might get some idea."

Xena took a breath. "Well, there was Autolycus, Joxer, Callisto. . . ."

As Xena named them off, both Willow and Buffy shook their heads.

"Hercules, Caesar, Brutus, Octavius."

"Okay!" Willow exclaimed. "Then that puts you about 2000 years in our past, in Italy." Then she paused. "Wait a minute. How would I know that?"

"Maybe you remember more than you think you do," Buffy suggested. "Maybe we all do. But at least we know now why she didn't know what hours were."

"No, not Italia," Xena corrected her. "I lived in Greece."

"You said you knew Hercules?" Willow said. "I thought he was just a myth."

"No, not at all. In fact, he was the one who started me on my path to redemption for my violent past."

"I'd love to hear about it, if you don't mind talking about it."

"You're sure? It's a pretty long story."

"It's not like we have anything else to do," Buffy added. "I'd like to hear about it, also."

Xena put her back against one wall and slid down to sit on the floor, the sword across her lap.

"Well, I guess it started when I was in my late teens in my home village of Amphipolis. A warlord named Draco attacked, and I was the one, the only one, who rallied some of the villagers to fight off and repel his army. After that, I built my own army to ensure no other warlords would threaten Amphipolis."

As Xena told her story, she never noticed that her clothes changed colors to match her mood - mostly dark blue, but when talking about Gabrielle, the color was closer to rosy purple. But changed to a dark, blood red when she was describing her early, evil self, and her battles with Dahak, and Gabrielle's daughter Hope.

So for the next two hours, until Prue joined them, Xena told most, most but not all, of her life - trying to kill Hercules, meeting Gabrielle, her love/hate relationship with Ares, Autolycus, Gabrielle's daughter Hope and Dahak, and traveling to India, China, and finally Japan.

"So, what did I miss?" Prue asked.

"Xena was telling us about her life. And it was one helluva life, let me tell you!" Willow answered.

"I'm sorry I missed it."

"Not a problem," Willow said as she reached out for Prue's hand.

Five seconds after Pure took it, she said to Xena, slightly awed, "You did have quite the life!"

"So did you," Willow said to Prue. "I never had sisters, not even one, and especially magical sisters. You were so lucky!"

"Willow, I believe you are next," Myna interrupted.

"Okay, and since I already know Prue's story, it will give Xena and Buffy a chance to hear it."

Willow followed Myna out of the room as Prue began: "The reason I named myself Melinda was because she was my great-great-great-great-great grandmother, and a witch, who started our line back in the late 1600s. She had three active powers - the ability to move things with her mind. . . ."

"Like you can," Buffy said.

"Yes. And her two other powers were the ability to freeze time, which was passed to my younger sister Piper, and the power of precognition, which my youngest sister, Phoebe has. We became the Charmed Ones. Unfortunately, Melinda was burned at the stake in Salem in 1692."

"Precognition," Buffy mused. "Now, wouldn't _that_ be a handy power to use against your enemies."

As Willow lay down on the table, Myna said to her, "There is one thing I must warn you about, and I am completely serious about this."

Willow sat back up. "What is it?"

Myna hesitated, as if trying to find the right words. Then he said, "I may not be here with you when you awaken, and you will remember that after Buffy died, you and your friends brought her back, pulled her from a heavenly dimension to continue her life. She can _never_ know this! If she found out, it would change her future, your future, and the future of everyone, in ways we cannot begin to imagine. It could be for the better. But it also could be for the worst - it could bring about an apocalypse the likes of which you have never seen, could never imagine! Do you understand me?"

Willow solemnly nodded and slowly lay back down on the table. Seconds later she was sleeping.

**To Be Continued**


	7. No Time To Lose!

**Chapter Seven**

**No Time To Lose!**

It didn't take Xena long to tire of Prue's stories and anecdotes about her life as a Charmed One. She nervously played with her sword, pulling it part way out of the scabbard, then back in again, over and over until Buffy finally said, "Are we boring you?"

Instead of answering, Xena asked, "Where's Myna? I don't trust that guy. Where'd he go? What's he doing?"

"Why don't you go look for him?" Prue suggested.

Xena was immediately on her feet and heading out of the door, the scabbard left behind on the floor where she was sitting.

"Uh oh," Buffy said when she saw it. "Maybe we ought to go after her. There's no telling what she might do to him if she finds him."

Prue got to her feet with Buffy and they followed after Xena.

"Do you think you could take her, if you had to?" Prue asked.

"I don't know. That's a damned big sword she's carrying. Maybe if I had my memory back I'd know what skills I had. Without the sword - still don't know. But she's sure strong."

There wasn't really any place to go except back to the dining room; no other doors were open. Xena was in there next to Willow, as if trying to decide whether to try to wake her or not.

"That might not be such a good idea," Buffy said.

"What?" Xena spat back at her. "What do you think I'm gonna do?"

"Don't wake her up." Even not knowing her and Willow's relationship, Buffy was still protective of her. "I'm more than serious about that."

"Do you know where he went?" Xena asked, changing the subject, but moving away from Willow nevertheless.

"No, we don't," Prue answered. "He probably left to go wherever it is he was before Willow's magic brought him here."

"I don't like this one bit him able to come and go as he pleases and we can't."

"You think _we_ do?" Buffy challenged.

"You do magic," Xena said to Prue. "So _do_ something!"

"Like what? **What** do you want me to do?"

"I don't know. Get that Myna back here. Make him give us some real answers about why we're here."

"I'm sure we'll get all of the answers to all of our questions just as soon as Willow and Buffy get their memories back. How about showing some patience?"

"How about if we get out of here and not risk waking up Willow?" Buffy asked in a quieter voice. After a few seconds, Xena stormed out with Buffy and Prue behind her.

When they got back to the armory Myna was waiting there, along with another table loaded with food and water. "I thought you might be getting hungry and thirsty," he said, explaining his absence.

Rather than throwing fuel on the fire, Buffy and Prue went to the table, but with subtle "I told you so" looks on their faces. Throwing her sword to the floor with a loud clang, Xena went to the opposite end of the table and began to eat. 

"Why are you so hostile all the time?" Prue asked Xena a while later, in a far corner where she went to get away from the others.

"Why shouldn't I be? Why aren't any of you? You all act like this is some kind of festival."

"Maybe we're just trying to make the best of a difficult situation until we can figure out what's really going on. If this is going to be some kind of to-the-death battle, maybe we ought to try to get along. We may need each other, whether you like it or not."

Prue started to leave, then turned back to Xena. "You know, we're really not such bad people. In fact, I think in another life we could have been pretty good friends, even with you. The way you talked about Gabrielle, I know somewhere inside you there's a pretty decent heart. Don't be afraid to let it show."

Prue walked back to where Buffy was nibbling on some kind of fruit.

"Willow ought to be waking up pretty soon," she said. "Once I get my turn over with ... well Xena was right about that - we definitely will be getting answers, one way or another."

It was another fifteen minutes before Willow joined them, and immediately went to Buffy with a warm, loving embrace. "You'll know why when you wake up. Myna waiting for you."

Buffy gave her an uncertain smile then went to join Myna, wondering if maybe she and Willow had been - lovers?

"So?" Xena asked Willow after Buffy was gone. "Any big revelations we should know about?"

"Only that I almost destroyed the world after my Tara was killed - with magic."

"You're that powerful?" Prue asked.

Willow nodded solemnly. "I am. And I have a feeling Myna knows it. And it makes me wonder just what we're going up against. If he and his people need that much power . . . ." Willow's voice trailed off.

Prue glanced over at Xena, who for the first time looked concerned. "Do you still have to power to kill gods?"

"I don't know. It would be helpful if I did. But the only way to know is to actually go up against one. And it sounds like that's what we will be battling."

"If that's the case," Willow chimed in, "then we need to present a united front, not only to Myna but to whatever it is we'll be fighting."

"You're right," Xena said. "If it's one thing I learned while leading my army, is that it's better to have allies you can trust than those you can't."

"Buffy included. She's as much a part of this as you are; as all of us are."

Xena nodded, almost reluctantly. "I'll make my peace with her."

Xena then turned away from them and re-entered the weapons room. Willow and Prue could hear clanging as she picked up one weapon then another.

"So, how did you almost destroy the world?" Prue asked. "Or would you rather not talk about it?"

"No, I can talk about it. It was a couple of years ago, so the . . . trauma of losing Tara isn't quite as, well, traumatic as it was. Plus, I kinda met someone else."

Willow started to tell Prue the story, then stopped. "**_Oh crap_**!"

"What?"

"Look, what I'm going to tell you you can _never_ let Buffy know about. All this happened after she died. And I don't want her to know what happened to me or to anybody else she cared - cares about. Okay?"

"You have my word. But what about Tara? She already knows about her dying. What will you tell her about that?"

"If it comes up, I'll think up some - lie." Willow then started back her story, but stopped again. "Xena!" she yelled in to her. "I know you can hear me, so I need your word as well."

"You have it," Xena shouted back to her. "I know how to keep secrets."

Willow proceeded to relate the story as best she could while leaving left Buffy completely out of it, changing things around so that it was her and Xander and Anya that were trying to stop the Trio. When she got to the part where Warren was shooting at Buffy and hit Tara by mistake, she changed it to Xander he was shooting at. But she also choked up for several minutes at the memory of seeing Tara die. Prue patiently waited until she could continue.

Once the story got to the part about Xander's love for her that kept her from destroying the earth, Willow stopped. She knew there was no way she could tell them about their problems with The First without including Buffy. Instead, she invited Prue to talk more about the Charmed Ones so they could decide how Prue's magic combined with Willow's could make them both stronger.

Before either realized, Buffy came back to the armory, and went right to Willow and embraced her. "Willow, I'm so glad you're here."

Willow started to answer when Xena walked up to them and offered her hand to Buffy, who hesitated, then took it.

"If we're going to work together to defeat whatever it is, we need to bury the axe."

Buffy smiled at her. "Just not in each other's back." Then she looked around. "Okay, where the hell's Myna. It's time for some answers."

"We don't know," Willow replied. "He never came back after you left."

"Why aren't I surprised?" Buffy asked, the irritation very evident in her voice.

"Quickly, gather your weapons!" Myna said, appearing suddenly. "There's no time to lose!"

"What's going on?" Willow asked. Instead of an answer, the lights began to fade, barely giving them time to arm themselves as the room went to total darkness. But before Willow could bring the lights back up, the four of them found themselves outside on a hill overlooking a deep valley. And across from the valley, on the top of another hill, a fortified castle could be seen in the semi-darkness.

It wasn't really night, but it certainly wasn't daytime either. Everything was in shades of black and gray. In the sky were two orbs of different sizes that could be moons except they were featureless - more like faded, dying suns, but with no warmth coming from them. Everything cast two faint shadows, and the clothes they were wearing had turned to a charcoal gray color.

"So now what?" Prue asked. "Where are we?"

"I think we are about to go into battle," Xena replied, looking down on the small table in front of them. On the table was some kind of map. Xena reached down to touch one corner that contained a dozen smaller maps, and immediately it became full size.

"Are those ants?" Buffy asked as she tried to brush the small moving bits from it, but they remained.

"I think this is a real-time map," Willow said. "What we're seeing are the guards and soldiers in the castle."

She touched the corner of the map again and once again it showed both hills and the valley. "Look there," she said, pointing to four small ants on the hill opposite the castle. "I think this is us."

"Too bad we don't have any horses," Xena commented. "Sure would save us some time getting over there. Any chance of conjuring up a couple of them?" she asked Willow.

"Unfortunately, no. But what I CAN do is teleport us into the trees just outside the cleared area surrounding the castle."

In an instant the four of them were exactly where Willow had indicated.

"Before we go rushing headlong into the castle, we need to study this thing," Buffy said.

"She's right," Xena agreed. "Since there's only one map, we need to memorize it as best we can, because from the size of the castle and the number of guards, there's a good chance we could get separated."

Moving well back into the woods to lessen the chance of being seen, Willow brightened and increased the contrast of the map to make it easier to read. They brought up different parts of the map, studying and memorizing the entrances, halls, rooms, stairways, and the movements of the guards.

They began planning their assault.

**To Be Continued**


	8. On to War

**Chapter Eight**

**On To War**

Over and over, the plans of attack changed. Who would go in first, and where? Should they attack on two fronts? Or try to infiltrate the castle quietly?

"I can't believe there are only two entrances," Xena said. "I've never seen a castle without a way for a king to make an escape."

"Myna said he was a Mystic," Willow told her.

"Mystic, king, whatever." Xena was irritated at being corrected.

"Well, let's look again," Buffy suggested, ignoring the bickering. "Maybe we overlooked something."

"Or maybe the map isn't as reliable as we think," Prue suggested. "Do we _really_ trust Myna that much?"

"Hell, who knows?" Buffy agreed. "Will, what do you think? Is there something we might have missed? Or is the map next to useless?"

Willow studied the map yet again, bringing up the different pages of it.

"Okay, there's the main gate, with guards up the ying-yang. And there is the kitchen door to dump the garbage into the moat. Guarded, but only large enough for one person at a time to enter. But I don't see anything else. . . unless -"

Willow brought up the page with what they believed to be the throne room, and adjoining it, the Mystic's bed chamber. She then increased the size of the page so large only a quarter of it could be seen at a time. And again she increased the size, centering on the bed itself.

"Does this look like a hole under the bed?" Willow asked. "Like maybe a way to climb down?"

"It looks like it, sort of," Buffy said. "But then what? What happens when you get to the bottom?"

"A cave maybe?" Prue guessed. "Something that's not on the map?"

Xena reached over to the corner and raised the overall view of the castle. "And here it is - an underground river," she said pointing to a small gray ribbon seeming to start right at the outside of the moat and running off the edge of the map.

"I thought that was just feeding the moat," Willow said. "But it might just be a river running completely under the castle."

"Our way up inside!" Buffy declared.

"But not for all four of us," Xena told them. "Most likely, it's just big enough for one or two at a time. And I'm sure there is some kind of warning device or trap there."

"So, what do you suggest?" Willow asked.

"A diversion. Something to draw the _Mystic's_ attention away from the throne room to give two of us a chance to climb up and get in."

"Go on," Buffy encourage her. It was obvious Xena was in her element.

"If two of us can get into the castle through the kitchen, when the minimum of guards are there, we should be able to fight our way into the interior, creating as much havoc as possible to draw more of the guards, and hopefully, the king - Mystic, to us, giving the other two time to get into the bed chamber. And when it's all over, and he returns to either the throne room or his bed chamber, he dies."

"That sounds like a pretty good plan, but just who are the two you think should be the diversion, and which two should get into the bedroom," Buffy wanted to know.

Xena hesitated for a few seconds, as if to prolong the suspense. Then she said, "I think Prue and I should go in through the kitchen. I'm the most experienced warrior, and combined with her ability to throw people around with her magic, I'm sure that many, if not most of guards will come running. And since Willow's magic is the strongest, and you and she are - connected, you two should confront the Mystic."

No one spoke for a minute or two, each mulling over the plan, trying to find any flaws.

"I agree with Xena," Willow said at last. "It's better than any plan I could come up with. Prue, what about you? Are you okay with this?"

"Yeah. Sure. It's certain death, but I never expected to come out of this alive anyway."

"NO!" Willow exclaimed. "You will NOT go into this expecting to die! You, _all_ of us, are going to do this without dying. We're going to win. And we're all going to survive!"

"She's right," Buffy added. "If we fight expecting to die, then we will. Prue, you have to believe we're all going to make it out alive. You HAVE to."

"Otherwise," Xena put in. "You're no good to me and I'd just as soon do this alone."

"Okay," Prue conceded. "We're all going to survive this - fiasco. You've convinced me."

But no one really believed she had such a sudden change of heart. But they also knew she was as vital to their plan as any one of them.

"I've been watching the kitchen entrance," Xena said. "And the door has only opened twice since we got here. And when it does, the guards are tripled inside the kitchen, then they go back to wherever they are assigned. So, we need to go now, before the garbage is thrown out again."

"Now it is," Buffy said. "Willow, can you teleport them over to the kitchen?"

"Sure. I'll take them over there and then I'll come back. And then you and I will teleport over to where the underground river starts at the edge of the moat."

"How are you going to swim underwater all that way?" Prue asked.

"I can put a protective bubble around us."

"Like the one around that gas station when Glory was after us?" Buffy asked.

"Pretty much."

"But I thought you said you couldn't make one that moved with us."

"Well, I've upgraded my powers since you, you know, dove off that platform."

Buffy nodded, wondering what other powers her best friend was hiding from her.

Xena picked up her sword, swung it around her head, as if to satisfy herself it was the weapon she wanted, then looked at Willow expectantly. Willow looked to Prue, who nodded, and then they were just outside the small stone door that opened into the kitchen.

"Give us a one hundred count before you do anything," Willow instructed. "I don't know how long it will take us to get to the opening up to the bedroom."

Then she was gone.

"I presume you will be able to get the door open," Xena said to Prue. "Magically, quietly, and quickly."

"I'll do my best. One, two, three, four..."

,.,.,

Willow and Buffy looked at each other, trying to read each other's face.

"Is this really going to work?" Buffy asked. "Really?"

"We're damn sure going to give it a good shot."

"That's not exactly what I wanted to hear."

Willow shook her head, kind of confused. "And THAT's not thing the Buffy I know would say. The Buffy I know would jump right in with both feet, danger be damned."

Buffy chuckled. "You sure you're not talking about Faith? She's the reckless one."

"And you're the brave one - powerful, sure of herself, and fearless."

"Then I guess I had you all fooled. I just did what I had to do, that's all."

"And that was always enough. So, let's do this."

Willow took Buffy's hand, who grabbed her battle axe in the other, and they were instantly at the mouth of the river that ran under the castle. The river were lower than they expected, and it ran out of a small cave, barely high enough for them to enter, bent over, along side the quickly running river.

"If we're lucky, we won't have to wade, or swim," Willow said. "But it's going to be dark."

"How deep do you think the river is?"

"No telling."

"Any way to bring up the lights like you did back in the dining room?"

"I might, if there are any crystals imbedded in the rock."

Just as soon as they were inside the cave, and could stand up, it was pitch black. Buffy heard Willow murmuring, or maybe chanting, and as she, did spots of light here and there began to brighten along the length of the cavern, not daylight bright, but enough light they could find their way. Staying on one narrow bank of the river, they made their way deeper into the small cavern.

After a few dozen yards Buffy asked Willow, "How much farther do you think it is?"

Willow didn't answer right away. "I hope not too much farther. I'm sure whichever one is counting should be close to one hundred by now."

Less than half a minute later they both heard a wind-moaning sound that got louder until they were looking up into the way up to the bed chamber.

"Well," Buffy declared. "I don't see any kind of ladder. Any suggestions?"

"I don't think teleportation would be smart. No telling what's waiting up there. I'm sure there are booby traps, either magical or physical, or both."

"So...?"

"So I'm going to try two things. First, of course will be the protective bubble around us. And the second, well wish me luck."

Before Buffy could say anything, she felt the magical bubble surround them, and then she felt herself being lifted upward and saw the points of light passing downward.

"What are you doing?"

"Shhh," Willow shushed her. "Concentrating."

It was then that Buffy realized Willow was using the water to raise them up. How far up they traveled, there was no way of knowing, but Buffy could see they were gradually slowing until they came to a stop. Looking up Buffy could see they still had ten or twelve yards to go.

"We're blocked," Willow said, her voice in a strain, the bubble seemed to be trembling.

"I don't see anything."

"It's magical, invisible, but there."

"What are we...?"

"I've got to do something Buffy. Something terrible, and something you shouldn't - something you're not supposed to know about, but it can't be helped."

"You do whatever you have to, Will."

And as Buffy watched in fascination, then horror, Willow began to change. Even in the dim light Buffy could see her hair darken to black, and dark veins began to form on her face. And suddenly they shot upward with such force that Buffy was almost driven to her knees. And then they were in the room; the bed, and all the other furniture, was shattered into pieces. The bubble around them melted away.

Willow's hair turned back to red and her complexion cleared.

"I'll explain everything later," Willow promised. "But right now, we've got a war to fight."

**To Be Continued**


	9. The Battle Begins

_{A.N. This is NOT a new chapter, it is a slight rewrite of the original Chapter 9 with a minor correction.}_

**Chapter Nine**

**The Battle Begins**

"...Ninety eight. Ninety nine. One hundred," Prue counted as Xena stood by impatiently. "Well, I guess it's time for us to make an entrance."

Prue put her hand on the wall, feeling its cold roughness.

"Are you sure this is the door?" she asked Xena. "It feels pretty much like a castle wall."

"It's the door alright. You can tell by the cracks they're larger and deeper than the rest of blocks of the wall."

Prue closed her eyes and put both hands on the door, moving her hands around, trying to feel through to the other side.

"You may be right," she said, eyes still closed. "I can sense movement or something like that on the other side. But I can also feel a force, magical, holding the door closed. Strong, powerful magic."

"Can you open it, or not?"

"Well, I'm thinking not. Or at least, not as soon as I'd like. I guess I can, but it won't be easy, or quiet. All I can do is keep trying, and hopefully I'll be able to break through the magical bond holding the stone in place."

"Then I suggest you start. I'm sure Willow and Buffy are in place by now."

"Here goes."

Prue move back a few yards from the wall, squinted her eyes a bit, and flung her hand toward the massive block that was the door. Xena thought she heard a momentary scraping sound, like stone against stone, but the door didn't move. Again Prue flung her hand at the door, and again there was the scraping sound, but louder, and the stone door appeared to move upward ever so slightly.

Prue took a deep breath, held it, then let it out, flinging her hand directly at the center of the door at the same time. The sound was even louder and the door raised almost knee high, then fell back with a loud thud.

"Well, that should cause some concern inside," Xena said unnecessarily. "And probably bring a few extra guards."

"I'm doing the best I can!" Prue retorted, and repeated the process deep breath, its expulsion, and a hard flung hand. And again the stone block raised up, this time almost waist high, then crashed back down with an echoing boom.

"What about using both hands?" Xena suggested.

"Doesn't work that way. I have to channel all my power into the one hand."

And again she duplicated the previous effort, and was rewarded with the door raising up completely, for a few seconds. But just as it crashed back down, one of the guards tried running through it, but was crushed by the dropping stone, only his head and upper torso outside the castle.

"What the hell is THAT?" Prue exclaimed.

Looking down at the remains of the guard, she saw a large reptilian head covered with gray, shiny scales, as was the neck and hands, which sported one-inch long claws at the end of the four fingers. The rest of the body and arms were clad in black, tightly-woven chain mail.

"That's what we're going to be battling," Xena told her. "And from what I can tell, they seem to be several heads taller than I am."

"I suppose that's the good news," Prue said.

"What do you mean?"

"With the guard under the door, there is no magic holding it closed. Which means I can open it all the way, keep it open, and then we get to start fighting our way in even before we get in."

"Then do it."

With a bare flick of her hand, the stone door zoomed upward with a crashing sound, then shattered into several large pieces down onto two of the guards as they tried to exit, killing one, disabling the second. Xena immediately rushed into the doorway, her sword thrusting into the throat of the next guard in line, burying it almost to the hilt. The force of her attack drove them both into the interior of the castle, with Prue right on Xena's heels.

While Xena struggled to get her sword out of the fallen guard, Prue was able to send six of the attacking guards backward through the air a dozen yards, but they were instantly up and on the attack again. Prue pulled the three daggers from their sheaths, tossed them into the air, then directed them squarely into the foreheads of the three in front. As they fell, the others tripped over them, giving Xena time to strike out at them, decapitating each one as they tried to get up.

Xena and Prue looked at each other to make sure neither was unhurt. But both were speckled with the red-gray blood of the guards. There was more color inside the castle, but grays and blacks still dominated.

"This way," Xena indicated, her sword thrust toward the open passageway leading deeper into the castle.

"Right behind you," Prue answered.

x ..x

"Should we wait here for the Mystic?" Buffy asked Willow, "Or should we try to find him?"

"You're asking me? That's a switch."

"Will, you've got the magic, the power to take him on. I'm just the muscle here. It's your call."

Willow walked to the door leading into the throne room, it was empty. Looking left and right she saw two entrances on opposite sides of the room. She then walked over to the massive throne, her hand in front of her, feeling for any residual magic.

"Nothing," she said. "I think we should keep going. If we run into the Mystic, then we'll do what we can. But I know Xena and Prue will be fighting overwhelming odds and we need to help them as much as we can."

Buffy smiled. "My sentiments exactly."

But before they could decide which doorway to go through two massive guards rushed in with long, heavy spears, one from each entrance. Before Willow could act, Buffy threw her battle axe at one, splitting his skull.

"Thicken!" Willow shouted toward the other, entrapping him. Buffy immediately grabbed up the fallen spear from her victim and thrust it into and through the other's throat. Willow ended the spell and it fell dead to the floor.

"Holy shit," Willow said, awed at the size of them.

"Yeah," Buffy agreed. "Looks like we've got more of a battle on our hands than we thought."

"I hope Xena and Prue are all right. Maybe we should get going."

"Which door?"

"I don't know. Should we just pick one?"

"Why don't you go through one and I'll take the other? Just to see where they go?"

"I don't think we should split up," Willow said, not liking the plan.

"We don't have to go far, just a quick look-see."

"Well, okay, I guess. But not far!"

"No, of course not" Buffy said as she retrieved her axe. "Just a short way, then right back here."

They each went to and entrance and looked through them.

"Stairs," Willow said. "Going down."

"Here too," Buffy replied as she slowly and warily started down, stopping to listen with every few steps. But halfway down another of the enormous scaly guards was rushing up at her. With no hesitation, she once again split the skull of the creature, then cautiously followed it down as it rolled and slid to the bottom of the stairway. But there were no more of them.

She came out onto a balcony that overlooked what she supposed was the main hall. There were more stairs leading down to the floor. Guards seemed to criss-crossing the room, brandishing the huge spears. After a few moments of studying them, Buffy decided they were coming from somewhere underneath where she was standing, and they all were heading away from her through an archway. She could hear the sounds of a battle, and assumed that was where Xena and Prue were. And knowing better to try to take them on alone, she hurried back up the stairs to join up with Willow.

In the mean time, Willow mirrored Buffy's descent down the stairs, and she, too, encountered one of the guards. And using Prue's technique, the guard was hurled to the bottom of the staircase with such force that both its neck and back were broken. It was the only one.

Willow came out onto the balcony and watched as the guards poured through the archway away from her. "Time to get Buffy," she thought to herself and returned back up the stairs to the throne room. But when she arrived, it was empty. Worried that Buffy might have encountered more of the guards, Willow started through the opposite doorway when she heard a familiar voice behind her.

"Willow?"

Willow turned around slowly, unsure of the voice, and was dumbfounded to see Tara in the middle of the room next to the throne.

"Willow, why are you here? What are you doing?"

At first Willow was stunned, and speechless, then remembering when The First appeared to her in the library as Cassie Newton, she quickly extended one hand. "Thicken!" she exclaimed.

And while Tara was immobilized, she used her telekinesis to pick up one of the fallen spears and sent it flying toward Tara's head, intending for it to strike her between the eyes. But Tara easily moved her head to one side, then walked out of the spell that was holding her.

"Willow, why are you trying to kill me? Don't you love me any more?" Tears were beginning to trickle down Tara's cheeks, and a look of pain and betrayal was on her face. She slowly walked toward Willow.

"You you're not fooling me," Willow panted, finding it hard to breathe. "I know you're not Tara. You can't be."

"I love you, Baby. I've missed you so much."

Tara put her hand gently on Willow's cheek, then turned her face up slightly and placed a tender kiss on her lips.  
.. .. ..

When Buffy got back to the throne room no one was there. And like Willow, she worried her friend may have encountered more guards, so she went to the other door, when from behind her she heard a familiar voice.

"Buffy? Is it you? Is it _really_ you?"

And turning around, Buffy saw Dawn standing next to the throne.

**To Be Continued**


	10. The Battle Slows

**Chapter Ten**

**The Battle Slows**

Xena and Prue barely got from the kitchen into the dining room when ten or more of the spear-wielding guards attacked them. Again, Prue was able to scatter them while Xena's sword dealt death and dismemberment indiscriminately - whatever was within its range was left bloody and dead. But there seemed to be no end of them; as many that were killed, that many took their places. Eventually Xena began to tire, while Prue's telekinesis seemed to be less and less effective.

"Where are Buffy and Willow?" Xena yelled to Prue as she continued to hack and slash her way deeper into the castle. "They should be here by now!"

"Maybe they . . . I don't know. But we need to find someplace to hide . . . or find someplace . . . or . . . ."

"Can you drop the ceiling if we can get through that doorway without bringing down the entire castle down on our heads?"

"I think so."

With renewed effort, the two of them battled their way the twenty-five feet to a smaller arched opening, small enough the guards would have to bend down to enter. And as they got through it, Prue paused long enough to throw the pursuing guards away from them, and then channeling her power through her hand, pulled the stone ceiling down onto the floor, killing at least a dozen, and effectively blocking the opening.

"I wonder where this leads," Prue said as she tried looking down the corridor, barely lit by the few sputtering torches mounted on the walls.

"Is there any way you can use your magic to get us more light?" Xena asked.

"I can try," she said. Then after thinking for a few seconds, she intoned:

**Dark as night  
Bright as day  
Make a light  
To lead our way  
**

As she spoke, the few torches mounted along the hallway doubled, then tripled their intensity, making it almost as bright as daylight.

"Not bad," Xena commented. "I was wondering if you could do more than just throw people around."

"Thanks. I wish I had the power Willow has. Maybe someday."

Warily, they made their way along the length of the corridor until they came to a dead end where it teed off left and right.

"So which way?" Prue asked, looking in both directions. "I'm kind of lost, I have no idea where we are."

"I'm not so sure myself," Xena replied. "How about you go one way and I'll go the other?"

"Should we split up?"

Xena looked both ways then replied, "It shouldn't be a problem. As straight as these passageways are, we can keep each other in sight, and if something happens to one of us, the other one can come running."

"Okay, but we shouldn't go too far, just in case."

Just then there was a rumbling, then the sounds of falling rocks. Looking back the way they had just come the women saw the ceiling collapsing, and heading their way.

"RUN!" Xena shouted. And each did, Xena down the left hand corridor, and Prue to the right.

As she ran away from the falling ceiling, Xena looked back and saw the blocks of stone hitting the floor in the passageway. Thirty or forty feet ahead Xena could see the doorway into a room, and with nowhere else to go, she ran toward it, diving through the opening at the last second as the hallway ceiling totally collapsed.

Coughing from the dust that almost filled the room, Xena went to the far side to get away from most of it, and looking around she saw it was not much larger than the room they first woke up in, and was completely empty. Then she saw movement in the dust, and a human form. At first she thought somehow Prue had somehow managed to follow her, but as the person walked out of the dust, she was stunned to see it was Gabrielle.

"Xena!" she exclaimed. "By the gods, I never expected to see you again, not in this lifetime."

But as Gabrielle approached, Xena's suspicious nature surfaced and she immediately raised her sword, pointing it at Gabrielle's heart.

"Stay back!" she instructed.

Gabrielle stopped, a hurt look on her face, but she said nothing as Xena carefully looked her over. Gabrielle was dressed as she had been on Mt Fuji at the Fountain of Strength - the same clothes, her hands wrapped with rags, her sais at the outsides of her calves, and the Chakram clipped to her waist!

x...x

Running as fast as she could, Prue felt it wasn't fast enough as she heard the falling-rock sound getting louder and louder. She tried looking behind her, but twisting her head to see threw off her balance and she fell to the floor, rolling onto her back as she did. It took all her power to keep from being crushed by the boulder-sized blocks that made up the ceiling. She barely was able to get to her feet and slowly back away, letting them fall as she made her way down the passage, not knowing what was behind her. And without warning, she backed into a room at the end of the hallway. As she did, the ceiling fell, blocking her way, and trapping her inside.

"Prue?"

Shocked that she heard her name, Prue quickly turned around, and was even more shocked at who she saw.

"Grams!"

Grams smiled at her and extended one hand to her and Prue almost went to her, but then stopped.

"How are you here?" Prue asked. "What's going on?"

"I'm here the same way you are," Grams answered. "I was recruited to help save these poor innocent people. The very same ones you and your friends are trying to destroy."

Prue was at a loss for words.

x...x

Willow was helpless in Tara's embrace. She was remembering it all - the wonderful smell of her skin, the full softness of her lips, the delicious taste of her mouth, and the warmness of her body tight up against her. And she couldn't help but respond to those sensual, erotic feelings she had known so long ago, and had missed so very much.

But suddenly she felt something was wrong, and pushed Tara away from her. "Okay, you look like Tara and you feel like Tara, but. . . ."

"But what? Willow what's wrong?"

"Why are you here, now?"

"I'm just trying to keep the people in this castle safe from the Invaders, who seem to be you and Buffy and the ruthless strangers you have brought with you. Why are you killing them? What have they done to you to warrant such violence?"

Willow was speechless for a few seconds, then said, "I've seen those 'people,' and they look nothing like people. They look like demons straight from the Hellmouth!"

"They only took that form to protect themselves. Can't you understand? Don't you see how innocent they are?"

"Yes. I see now. Perfectly. These creatures aren't people. And I know you're not Tara. Don't ask me how I know, but I do."

And within seconds, Evil Willow reemerged, and from the palms of both hands streams of deadly energy surged toward "Tara," who was either incinerated, or disappeared.

As she returned to normal, Willow crumpled to the floor, exhausted to the point of near unconsciousness.

x...x

Buffy didn't know what to say. The last person she expected to see here, or to see at all, was Dawn.

"Buffy, I can't believe you're here."

Dawn rushed to Buffy and threw her arms around her neck. Instinctively, she returned the embrace.

"Oh, Buffy, I never thought I'd see you again," Dawn said into Buffy's ear, with a mixture of pain and elation in her voice. "I've missed you _so much_. We all have."

Buffy firmly removed herself from Dawn's arms and stepped back, holding her at arm's length, looking at her suspiciously.

"How did you get here?" she asked.

"How? I-I'm not sure. I went to sleep in your bed. It still smell like you, you know. But when I woke up I was here, in this room, all alone. But I had this feeling that someone would come to save me. I didn't know who. But I wasn't afraid, I just knew. But I sure didn't expect it to be you!"

Dawn shook off Buffy's grip on her arms and again threw her arms around Buffy's neck.

Buffy tentatively put her arms around Dawn's back for a moment or two, then tried again to extricate her from Dawn's embrace, but Dawn held on tighter, and tighter still, until Buffy found it getting hard to breathe.

Buffy patted her on the back.

"Okay, Dawn, that's good."

But the arms around her neck tightened even more, and Buffy was suddenly alarmed. She tried pulling Dawn's arms away, but she was strong, stronger than she should have been, and the grip tightened to the point that Buffy realized she was going to lose consciousness in just a few seconds.

Buffy grabbed Dawn around her torso and began to squeeze with all the strength she could muster. And for a second or two the arms around her neck loosened just a bit, and just enough for Buffy to get a quick breath, then they tightened again.

In desperation, Buffy moved her arms down to Dawn's waist, tightened them again, and lifted her up off her feet, and ran her into the wall a dozen steps away, releasing her hands at the last fraction of a second so the full force her effort was concentrated on Dawn's back and the back of her head. And with the sickening crunch of her head hitting stone, Dawn's hold was broken.

Buffy stepped back to see the bloody trail on the wall as Dawn slid down to the floor with glazed eyes, looking as if she were dead. But as Buffy reached down to check if she was, or to finish the job if she wasn't, Dawn simply vanished.

Buffy heard a thump behind her, spun quickly around, and saw Willow lying on the stone floor, barely moving.

**To Be Continued**


	11. The Battle Ends

**Chapter Eleven**

**The Battle Ends**

"Xena, what s going on? I don't understand this," Gabrielle said, nodding at the sword pointed toward her neck.

For a moment Xena said nothing, then asked, "How did you get here?"

"I don't know. I was on my way to the Land of the Pharaohs like we talked about, and I went to sleep thinking maybe I should take your ashes to back Amphipolis first, so you could lie with your mother and brother. But when I woke up I was here, in this castle, palace, whatever it is, alone."

"Go on."

"Not much else to tell. I've been walking around, trying to find out where I was ."

"You never saw any of those beasts this place is crawling with?"

"I kept hearing footsteps, but I could never catch up to them."

"So how did you get here, in this room?"

Gabrielle shook her head. "Again, I don't know. I turned a corner, entered a small passageway, then suddenly I was walking out of dust, and there you were. How did _you_ get here?"

"The passageway I was going down started collapsing and I barely made it here before the ceiling had fallen down."

By now Xena had lowered her sword and let the tip rest on the stone floor.

"Is that my Chakram?" Xena asked, eyeing the circular disk at Gabrielle's hip.

Gabrielle nodded and took it from the clip to show her. Xena reached out her left hand.

"Mind if I hold it?"

"Of course not," Gabrielle replied, and stepped forward to hand it to her.

Xena took the weapon and transferred it to her right hand, feeling its familiar weight.

"It's funny, but when I was brought here, I was told none of my weapons, not even my body could travel through time or space. I wonder how it is that you, your clothes, your sais, and the Chakram made it."

Gabrielle shook her head and shrugged her shoulders in ignorance.

Xena hefted the Chakram, then without warning, threw it toward to wall on her right, and watched it as it ricocheted off that wall to the one directly across from her, to the one on the left, and back to her hand - almost. She had to reach to catch it, and as she did, the palm of her hand was sliced open.

"Guess I'm losing my touch," was her excuse, as the blood dripped from her hand to puddle on the floor. "Maybe I should try it again."

And again Xena threw the weapon in the same manner, but adjusted it just enough, after watching its previous trajectory, that instead of coming back to her, it flew directly toward the side of Gabrielle s neck. But at the precise instant it reached her, both Gabrielle and the Chakram disappeared, not that Xena was particularly surprised.

"Not _my_ Chakram, that's for sure," she mumbled. "Mine separated into two pieces, and went where I wanted it to."

Xena used her sword to cut off part of her shirt to wrap around her hand to stop the bleeding. She then walked to the doorway and saw that there was no way to leave the room. So she went to the opposite wall, and using both hands to guide the point of the sword, started scratching at the mortar between the blocks of stone, intending to loosen up one enough to remove it and maybe get out.

.. xx ..

"Grams..." Prue started to say.

"I know, you're confused and uncertain about everything. I was too, at first. But the more I understood what was going on, the more I realized how badly the inhabitants of this magnificent palace needed defending. They're a peaceful and innocent people, or they were until this Myna and his murderous warriors attacked without warning. They've had to resort to terrible things to defend themselves, including creating a race of Defenders to keep from being annihilated."

"But Myna told us that _they_ were the ones being targeted for destruction."

"Of course he did! If he had told you he needed your help, you and your so-called friends, to help hammer a peaceful populace into extinction would you have gone along with it?"

"Well, no, of course not. But..."

"Join us Prue! Help us drive back the invaders and save us from destruction."

Prue's head was spinning; she didn't know what, or who to believe.

"I know it's a hard decision, Dear, but if we're to survive we need all the help we can get! Your friends are powerful and resourceful, and frankly, you're our last, our only hope."

As Prue wrestled with her conscience something bubbled up, something that hadn't sounded right, but in her confusion hadn't realized it until now.

"Grams, why is it you keep saying _us_? It's like you're one of them. Or are you _the_ one, the Mystic we ve been battling against all this time?"

'Grams' demeanor changed from kindly and pleading to hard and cold. And somehow her appearance altered, not much, but enough to make Prue realize this, indeed, was NOT Grams. And 'Grams' realized Prue was onto her. Instantly Prue was thrown against a wall, and was held there magically.

"The others are dead. You're the last. I was hoping I wouldn't have to kill you as well. You have so much potential. We could have ruled these puny beings together. But I can do it without you."

Prue struggled against the forces holding her fast. If she could move one hand, even one finger, maybe she'd have a chance to battle back, but she was held tight against the wall. What could she do, how could she...?

Then something came to her and she smiled. She knew what to do.

"You're smiling?" 'Grams' said with a perplexed look on her face. "You're about to die and you're smiling? What, you re trying to psych me out?"

"No, I just realized how to defeat you."

And using what she recalled when her and Willow's minds were connected, Prue intoned:

**Kali, Gaia, Kronos, Tonic.**  
**Air like nectar, thick as onyx.**  
**Cassiel by your second star,**  
**Hold mine victim as in tar.**

Suddenly, 'Grams' was held as immobile as Prue was.

"What have you done to me?" she exclaimed, struggling to move.

Prue only smiled bigger, remembering the spell Willow used on the hell-god Glory.

"Maybe I can't free myself, but neither can you."

Prue was then silent for a few moments, realizing this was her fate, her final destiny.

"It's been fun," Prue said, then with calmness and serenity, began concentrating on the ceiling, and the rest of the castle above them, and within seconds, brought all of it down on top of the both of them with a thundering crash.

.. xx ..

As Buffy rushed over to Willow, the entire building began to tremble, then to shake violently.

"Will, we've got to get out of here. I think the whole place is coming down!"

"I think you re right. What about Xena and Prue? Have you seen them?"

"No. Nothing, nothing at all. Can you find them, mentally or magically?"

"Gimme a second."

As Buffy held the still shaky Willow upright, Willow closed her eyes, searching.

"Hold on," Willow told Buffy, then transported them into the room where Xena was diligently digging away at the mortar joint around one of the stone blocks. She grabbed Xena's hand and next they were standing on the hill overlooking the castle, which was slowly, and loudly, collapsing into a pile of rubble.

"Where's Prue?" Xena demanded to know. "You've got to get her out of there!"

"No," Willow said sadly. "She's gone. Just as we teleported out I felt the last bit - the last touch of her mind as she died. Somehow she was able to entrap and kill the Mystic, but she sacrificed herself at the same time. She saved us."

No one spoke, feeling the loss wash over them.

Finally Xena said, "I thought I'd be the one. You all three have magic, strength, each other. I just had me."

Buffy put one hand on Xena's shoulder, but wasn't sure what to say. Xena's hand covered Buffy's and she gave her a grateful smile.

"Guys, look!" Willow said, indicating the area where the castle once stood. Everything was changing. The pile of rubble was disappearing and grass, trees, shrubs, flowering plants, and a large blue pool or small lake, reflecting the bright blue sky, was appearing. Color was returning to the valley.

An opening was next to the lake, and they could see people emerging. One of them was waving at them, inviting them down. Willow took Buffy's and Xena's hands and next they were standing beside Myna.

Without fanfare Myna, in a more form-fitting tunic, embraced Willow, then Buffy, then Xena.

"Thank you," she said. "You have saved my people. We have no words to say to thank you all enough."

Xena reached out and rubbed her hand over Myna's chest, feeling soft breasts.

"We thought you were a man."

Myna smiled. "I wasn't sure how you would react to a woman giving you orders. You, yourselves are such powerful women."

Then her face dropped. "We all are of mixed emotions - happy we are now safe, but terribly saddened that Prudence sacrificed herself. It took great courage. Her death will not be forgotten."

"Any chance we might get cleaned up, and get something to eat?" Buffy asked.

"Most certainly! We are celebrating our deliverance from extinction. Come. Follow me down and we shall return to the dining room you are so familiar with. And after you have cleaned yourselves and put on fresh clothing, we will return to the surface for the festival."

After well-deserved showers and fresh clothing, the three champions found themselves back on the surface. It was almost like a normal day at the lake - couples were on blankets next to the water. Some had thrown off their clothes and were swimming naked, laughing, playing and splashing each other. But only a handful of children could be seen.

When asked about it, Myna replied, "We are long-lived people, free of the infirmaries of old age, but we have paid the price - few children are born to us. Consequently, those we are blessed with are indulged and spoiled and cherished."

"Just how old _are_ you?" Buffy asked.

"More than two of your centuries, and I am only in the middle of my years."

Several hours passed until the celebration began winding down as Myna's people began disappearing through the portal leading underground.

"It is time," Myna said as the last of them were gone, leaving only the greenery and the lake. "Time for you to return to your time and place."

And once again Buffy, Willow and Xena found themselves in the room where they woke up.

"Will we remember any of this?" Willow asked.

Myna shook her head. "Probably not. But who's to say the memories will not creep into you minds like the remnants of a dream?"

Myna move to Xena's side, who was lying down, waiting.

"You do know that you and Gabrielle will be reunited in your next lives. Soul mates always find each other."

"That's good to know."

Xena closed her eyes as Myna placed her hand over them gently. The next thing Xena knew she was naked as she entered the teahouse. Akeme was there and told Xena she had dreamed of her. Xena then donned a red robe with the other women attending to her.

Myna next walked over to Buffy.

"Are you ready?"

"I guess. No, wait! Willow, you said you were going to tell me about that black hair and veiny face thing."

"Not much to tell. Tara was killed by some creep with a gun. I went berserk, went to the Magic Shop, and sucked all the magic out of the books Giles kept up on the top level. Then I flayed and killed the guy. It took me a long time to gain control of my magic again."

"Oh Will, I'm so sorry about Tara. Are you okay?"

Willow nodded. "Yeah. It was a while ago, so..."

"It's time," Myna reminded her.

Buffy laid down and closed her eyes. "I love you, Willow."

"Right back atcha."

As she had done with Xena, Myna put her hand over Buffy s eyes, and suddenly Buffy found herself warm, and loved ... and finished.

"Ready?" Myna asked Willow.

"Ready."

Willow laid down, then sat back up. "Just out of curiosity, what will happen to these bodies?"

"They will be recycled. Our resources are somewhat limited, and nothing can go to waste."

Willow nodded and laid back and Myna placed her hand over her eyes.

"Willow! We've got to go! The Hellmouth is collapsing!"

Willow looked up dazed as Kennedy, with newly-acquired Slayer strength, was pulling her to her feet.

"What?"

"The Hellmouth is going to swallow us if we don t get the hell out of here!"

Half carrying and half dragging Willow, Kennedy got them to the school bus where a wounded Robin Wood was behind the wheel. As the bus sped away from the school and the disintegrating ground above the Hellmouth, Willow was trying to recall something. Some _thing_ was nagging at her memory, something she knew she didn't want to forget.

But it was slipping away, just like that dream you so desperately want to remember!

**The End**

_ A.N. First, let me say thanks for staying with the story. I had no idea it would end up so long, or take so long to finish._  
_ Secondly, about the death of Prue. Someone had to die, just my way. And the reason I chose Prue was because of what we never saw on_ Charmed_, and that was Prue being called from the other side as Grams and Patty were so many times. So I decided the reason (ignoring the_ real_ reason Prue never showed up again) was that Prue's soul was gone, destroyed as Fred Burkle's was, thanks to Ilyria._

_ Again, thanks for reading. I hope you enjoyed the story._


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